Prevalence of skin diseases in rural Erbil: A community-based study

Abstract

Background and objectives: Skin diseases in developing world have stimulated a lot of interest over the years because they are potentially preventable and controllable and because skin diseases also serve as an index of community development. The present study was designed to determine the burden of the skin diseases in rural areas of Erbil governorate. Methods: The study is a community based conducted in one of the rural areas of Erbil study, house to house survey method was applied and all the households were examined after explaining for them the process. Data regarding socio-demographic variables were collected from each family by a specially designed questionnaire. All the household members were clinically examined and the dermatological findings were recorded. Results: The study population composed of 542 persons, 262 (48.33%) male and 280 (51.67%) female with male to female ratio 0.94:1. The overall prevalence of skin diseases was 36.3%, 164 (30.2%) of them affected with one disease, and 33 (6.1%) affected with two diseases. Infectious dermatoses have the highest prevalence rate (20.1%), followed by eczematous skin diseases (10.2%). The overall prevalence of skin diseases was higher among females than males; the prevalence of skin diseases was increasing with rising crowding index. Conclusion: The study concluded that the prevalence of skin diseases in rural areas of Erbil governorate is one of the great public health problems that have a significant burden on the population. So, increased public and professional awareness of dermatological care might decrease the size of these disorders and its burden in the community.